Like others in the area I am against a Walmart store on Broadway, but am willing to listen to options.

So I asked my brother who is a professor of work and employment research and engineering systems at MIT and co-director of MIT Sloan Institute of Work and Employment for his opinion. Here's what he said:

"Green Bay citizens should expect Walmart, as the nation's largest private-sector employer, to be a role model that helps gradually lift employment standards that others will then be challenged to match. Instead, if Walmart continues to follow its standard business model, it will do the opposite.

"Evidence shows that when Walmart opens a new store it lowers community wage standards and relies on taxpayers to subsidize its employees' health care and to provide food stamps. And it goes to war with its employees.

"In the past decade, it had to pay out nearly $1 billion for stealing employee wages by failing to pay required overtime and rest breaks and it continues to fight class action suits for discriminating against women all over the country. Moreover, it fights all out to avoid unions, thereby denying its 'associates' ( the company doesn't like the word 'employees') any opportunity to have a voice in shaping the conditions under which they work or resolving grievances when treated unfairly.

"Green Bay citizens and the future Walmart employees will never have more leverage to negotiate changes to Walmart's behavior than now, before the city decides whether or not to approve the company's expansion proposal.

"Here are some things Green Bay could demand in negotiating with Walmart that, if accepted, might make a socially responsible employer:

"1. Commit to paying its employees a living wage. The principle here is the term 'working poor' should become a misnomer in America.

"2. Commit to providing affordable health insurance coverage for its full-time and part-time employees. Either Walmart will provide coverage at affordable rates or area and state taxpayers and local hospitals will end up paying for Walmart employees health care.

"3. Assure that Walmart lets its employees decide whether or not to be represented by a union without any interference or pressure from the company or create advisory councils involving employees and community members to monitor employment practices.

"4. Commit to working with local technical colleges and the UWGB faculty and students to develop and deliver coursework on retail store management so young women and men in the area are prepared for careers as managers in the local store and are able progress to higher level executive positions.

"5. Finally, Green Bay could take a page out of the Packers playbook. Green Bay stands proud for owning the Packers and because of this it has been able to keep a world-class professional football team in the city for all these years and into perpetuity. Why not insist Walmart share ownership with its associates by providing profit-sharing and employee stock ownership to those who stay with the company for a year or more?